MARLBOROUGH — According to school councilor Mary Murphy, students at Marlborough High School will be given the opportunity to carry their cell phones anywhere in school.
However, if students “do not meet expectations,” they could lose that right, she added.
“High school students are trying to prove they can take responsibility,” Murphy said.
There is no district-wide policy on cell phones and other electronic devices, but the district has, as Murphy describes it, certain “expectations” regarding their use.
Elementary school students are not allowed to remove their cell phones from their backpacks during the school day. Students at Charles L. Whitcomb Middle School follow a policy that requires cell phones to be kept in Yondr bags and locked at the beginning of the school day and then unlocked at the end of the school day.
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“Last year we used the Yondr bags for the first time and it was wonderful,” Murphy said. “The students seemed to like the bags. They liked that they could always have them with them. Emotionally, it’s helpful for students between the ages of 12 and 15 to know that they always have their phone with them, even if they can’t use it.”
High school students are allowed to own cell phones, but their use is restricted
At the high school, students are allowed to carry cellphones throughout the day, but they are only allowed to use them during lunch, Murphy said. They are not allowed to use their cellphones between classes and must leave them in the classroom if they go to the bathroom during class, she added.
Students who violate the rules may have their cell phone confiscated by the assistant principal and kept until the end of the school day. Repeat offenders may have their phone picked up by a parent or guardian.
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Murphy said if students don’t meet expectations, the high school could follow the middle school’s example and keep the phones in Yondr bags.
“Possibly in autumn — Late October or early November – we may switch to Yondr bags if they (the students) are not meeting expectations,” the superintendent said. “It may also be more desirable to be in class and not at home because if they don’t come to school, they can’t communicate with their friends because they (the friends who are at school) can’t use their cell phones.”
“So if you want to see your friends, you have to come to class.”
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or [email protected]. For public safety updates, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
